World's First Traitor System (418)

Chapter 418 - The Primordial Wasteland

Hongzhou City, Great Ming.

A giant figure, dozens of feet tall, stood clad in imperial robes. His face was strikingly handsome, a brush in his right hand, a scroll in his left, his demeanor that of a refined scholar. Yet, jarringly juxtaposed with this scholarly air were the four ink monsters that surrounded him.

One, with the body of a ram, a human face, eyes in its armpits, tiger teeth and human claws, its voice like a baby's cry, was Taotie, one of the legendary Four Fiends. Another, resembling both a dog and a tiger, with wings on its back, was Qiongqi, another of the Fiends.

A long-haired beast, with a human face, tiger paws, and the mouth and tusks of a boar, was Taowu. The final beast was particularly grotesque, shaped like a bear, with eyes that couldn't see, ears that couldn't hear, a belly without organs, feet that didn't move as it walked, embodying chaos itself – Hundun, the last of the Four Fiends.

This strange assembly – a giant emperor and four monstrous, chilling beasts – faced the Great Ming army that had come to lay siege. The city of Hongzhou, both within and without its walls, was a charnel house.

Great Ming officials, including Grand Secretaries Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng, as well as Commander Lu Bing, were all present. They stood in their court attire, expressions solemn, their bodies bearing the marks of battle.

After a long silence, Yan Song finally spoke. "Minister Xu, it's a pity that His Highness the Crown Prince wasn't entirely successful in this battle."

Xu Jie's lips twitched, a flicker of disappointment was seen in his eyes.

Not far from the gatehouse, Crown Prince Wanli, covered in bruises, his hair disheveled, sat cross-legged on the ground, tending to his wounds. Beside him lay a burly man with a thick beard, his injuries even more grievous. A gaping wound pierced his right chest, revealing mangled internal organs. But the most horrific injury was on his head – a gash, as if clawed by a beast, tore through his scalp and skull, oozing blood and viscous fluid. The man clung to life by a thread.

"Your Highness..." Xu Jie began, wanting to defend the Crown Prince, who had led the initial assault, but the words caught in his throat.

Wanli's personal guard was almost entirely wiped out beneath the walls of Hongzhou, and the Prince himself had barely escaped with his life.

"His Highness fought bravely at the forefront, unwavering in the face of danger. He is a true example to the soldiers of Great Ming," Zhang Juzheng interjected.

Wanli's attack had failed? Then they wouldn't speak of his failure, only of his courage and leadership.

"Good, good, good," Yan Song agreed, nodding thrice. But his gaze towards Zhang Juzheng was venomous.

The Yan and Xu factions, sometimes peaceful, sometimes at daggers drawn, were the dominant forces in the Ming court. Only one man could mediate their conflicts: Emperor Jiajing.

The Emperor wasn't present on the walls, but another served as his voice, conveying his will.

"Ahem! I hadn't expected a mere provincial battle to be so arduous," Lu Bing coughed, drawing everyone's attention. "Upon our return to the capital, His Majesty will bestow rewards. Promotions and riches await. I shall rely on your continued support."

His words were oddly out of place. As Emperor Jiajing’s sworn brother and Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lu Bing relied on no one save the Emperor himself. As for promotions and riches, those present were already Grand Secretaries and high-ranking officials, at the pinnacle of their careers. Their only ambition was to surpass their rivals within the court.

Lu Bing's message, on behalf of the Emperor, was clear: Cease your bickering! True power within the Great Ming comes not from factionalism, but from the Emperor's favor! My favor decides who leads, who stands above all others!

None present were fools; they understood the implied warning. Their reactions, however, varied.

Yan Song remained calm and composed. As Grand Secretary, he already basked in the Emperor's favor.

Xu Jie, perpetually wearing a melancholic expression, seemed unfazed, his usual gloom masking any inner turmoil.

Gao Gong's eyes burned with ambition; he cared little for the present, his gaze fixed on the future. What he couldn't achieve today, he would seize tomorrow!

Only Zhang Juzheng remained impassive, his expression unchanged throughout Lu Bing's pronouncements. He seemed detached, as if he had already transcended the petty squabbles of the Yan and Xu factions.

Lu Bing surveyed the group, satisfied with their reactions, and fell silent with a smile.

Then, Yan Song looked up towards the distant figure of Li Yu, the Southern Tang Emperor, his form now gigantic. "The battle is decided."

The others reacted a moment later, looking up just as Yan Song finished speaking.

"Indeed, it is over," Xu Jie agreed, his tone laced with frustration at being a step behind Yan Song.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four explosions rocked the air. Taotie, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Hundun burst like water droplets, splattering ink across the rooftops of Hongzhou City below.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A scream pierced the air. Li Yu's giant form deflated like a punctured balloon, his gathered destiny scattering. The destiny of Hongzhou, which he had condensed using the Pangu's Giant Body technique, dissipated.

Li Yu shrunk back to normal size, his throat now in the grip of a powerful hand.

"The destiny of a single province is insufficient to manifest the true Pangu."

Emperor Jiajing of Great Ming stated, his victory complete. He radiated power, his eyes blazing, the Vermilion Bird of Great Ming perched majestically on his right shoulder, its presence far more imposing than the grotesque ink beasts.

"Strong... too strong..." Li Yu choked out bitterly. "I hadn't expected such a powerful ruler to appear in the mortal realm. Had I descended ten years earlier, no, thirty, I wouldn't be in this predicament."

A flicker of contempt crossed Jiajing's face. Thirty years? Li Yu's self-deprecating words seemed almost an insult to imperial dignity.

"What do you intend to do with me?" Li Yu asked. "I do not fear death, only that I cannot die by her side."

Jiajing's disdain deepened.

"Answer a few questions, and I will grant you a swift death, a grand burial."

Li Yu's expression shifted. After a long hesitation, he finally nodded.

"First question: how did you and your Tang Dynasty ascend to the immortal realm?"

Li Yu smiled wryly. He understood the implication: the Southern Tang wasn't worthy of ascension.

"I submitted to Wu Zetian and ascended with her as a vassal state of the Wu Zhou Dynasty," Li Yu admitted, then added, "Shi Jingtang did the same."

"Second question: after thousands of years, why are you still so weak?" Jiajing pressed.

"Because..." Li Yu looked up at the sky. "In the immortal realm, merely surviving is a struggle, and cultivating is a fool's dream..."

His voice was only audible to Jiajing. He understood the Emperor's mind. Jiajing didn't want their conversation overheard. He would cooperate.

After a long silence, Jiajing finally asked his third question.

"What is the immortal realm truly like?"

He had anticipated resistance, prepared to use both threats and promises to extract the answer. But Li Yu responded readily.

"The immortal realm is also known as the Primordial Wasteland."

"Primordial, meaning vast."

"Wasteland, meaning empty, desolate, devoid of all things, where all things perish..."